Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-04-20
DAILY HERALD.
A GREAT PROJECT.
Ship and Shore to Come
Together in July.
A MAMMOTH NAIL FACTORY.
BallOna HarbOr to be the Place o.
Manufacture of Nails, Spikes
and Tacks.

A reporter of the HERALD, on learning
yesterday that Mr.. Frank L. Way, an
expert in the art and science OF nail
making, was in the city. called on that
gentleman at the st. Elmo to learn
something about the cost of nail manu-
facture. Mr.. Way is an agent OF the
great Pacific Nail Works at San Fran
cisco and is we'll qualified to give all de-
tails of Matchmaking.
Works could be erected on the docks
at Ballona with three water fronts and Il
railway track in the center or ON one
side of the site as might be needed. This
location would save large item of ex'
pense in loading and unloading iron and
nails. The Pacific Nail Works make
800 kegs per day and have to move their
raw material at least quarter OF mile
At heavy expense, while at Ballona ship
and shore could come together with no
expense of land transporta'ion.:
The expense estimated by MIR. Way
for officers, engineers and artisans would
be Sl63 per day; coal, thirty tons at IS
per ton, $240; forty-two tons OF iron at
4l2 Der ton laid down from Liverpool a'
factory, S5O4, allowing two tons fol
waste; oil and wasteage, SIS per day; 500
kegs at Is cents, $l44; making $lO56 a'
the cost of 500 kegs, making the cost pei
keg at 81. 80 per keg. To this shoult
be added picking and packing 5 cents
Der kep; cutting the nails, 5 cents; tend
ING hot plate, 4 cents per keg and waste
age and insurance, cents, which woult
make the entire cost on board cars VI. b
per keg.
The present price of nails is $3.50 PEI
keg, and varies according to the friski
ness of freights. At the old freight rat'
the price was $3.50 per keg, which
would make the margin SO cents pei
keg or $7l2 per day clear profit, while
at Ihe present price of rails, So so per kef
the profit per day would be $500 more OF
$l,5l2 per day clear profit. This is Ger
calmly very fascinating showing thai
ought to be sufficiently attractive to cap
itaiists to warrant them in putting up
factory at Ballona. These figures of Mr.
Way are very carefully prepared, anc
ere also supported by the opinion of MIR
G. P. Clapp. superintendent OF the Jud
son nail factory. at Oakland, Cal.
It should also be stated the power tt
run the furnace and factory would b.
ample for the manufacture of tacks ant
round nails that would yield greater
profit than ordinary nails.
The demand for nails in Los Angelo
Is constantly and rapidly on the increase
and the money sent abroad for this nee
essary article is simply enormous. Cai
It not be stopped? The cost of factor!
Is not very great. The building need b.
but one story high, while the machiner'
for nail. costs now less than hal
the price in years gone by. An etfor
will be made to get site donated by tn
Los Angeles and Ballons Railway ant
Improvement Company to compap.
termed for nail-making at that place.
Mr.. Way would be happy to give an
gentlemen further and complete infol
nation about the business. He can b
found at the st. Elmo, and can Civ
facts and figures as may be needed b
any person who wishes to engage in tn
business. The present is great oppol
tunity for beginning such an enterprise
Mr.. Campbell, the manager OF the Bal
Iona Improvement Company, promise
to have railway cars and steamship
alongside of each other by the middle o
July next, SO that work could be com
menced at once ON the factory. Th
prospect seems most auspicious, ant
the opportunity should be embraced a
soon as possible and practicable.